


Life In Three Parts

by love_killed_the_superstar



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, F/F, First Crush, First Love, Gen, Past Relationship(s), Rainbow is the rosepearl love child, Unrequited Crush, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-30
Updated: 2016-06-30
Packaged: 2018-07-19 07:33:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,056
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7351819
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/love_killed_the_superstar/pseuds/love_killed_the_superstar
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Three girls. Three moments in time. Three kinds of love.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Life In Three Parts

**Author's Note:**

> So these are adapted from my femslash february 2016 collection. Three out of four stories took place in the same au, so I thought I would tidy them up a little and slot them into a small fanfic. However, if you read them the first time around, there may be some noticeable differences, mostly to Garnet's character and her relationship with Rainbow.

The downside to living in Beach City had to be the sleet that would undoubtedly roll around every winter. Even on days that had started out sunny would eventually sour, dark clouds rolling overheard, pelting innocent people with unforgiving dribbles of lazy ice.

Pearl was sick of it, and every year she would bitch to Amethyst about how she was going to leave town, move up to Keystone where maybe the weather would chill out some, and every year she would realise she loved the beaches too much to abandon them just because of some crappy weather. And then the sleet season would be upon them again, and she'd unpack her spiel once more.

Currently they were huddled under a bus shelter that was falling apart, waiting to catch the deadbeat once-every-two-hours remote area bus to take them to the nearest mall so they could catch the new Star Trek movie in enough time to get back before dark. Pearl felt especially vulnerable in a thin winter coat and thermal tights that were doing virtually nothing to protect her from the cold, regardless of their self-proclaimed title. Amethyst was attempting to light a cigarette in her hands, but they were shaking from the cold (curse fingerless gloves for looking cool but also being fucking useless) and her lighter kept missing the cigarette by just a few inches. She threw her head back and cursed.

“ _Fuck._ I hate Beach City winters!”

“Amen to that.”

She leaned back against the damp wood of the shelter and groaned. It was absolutely freezing, and neither of them had had the incentive to grab a coffee or hot chocolate from The Big Donut on their way to the bus stop. Trekking back down would just waste valuable time, especially if they ended up missing the bus because of it. Hell no was Amethyst going to wait another two hours for a bus. Fuck Beach City winters.

“Why can't you just learn to fucking drive?” groaned Amethyst, finally managing to light her cigarette and taking a drag. “Would make everything much simpler. Or we could just steal one. I know how to hot wire a car, you know. Vidalia taught me.”

“I'm not going to juvy for stealing a car when we can catch a bus that's going to be here in ten minutes,” pointed out Pearl, teeth chattering as she hugged herself for warmth. “Besides, why do I have to learn to drive? You're the one who got lessons from Greg. _You_ try and get your licence instead of just offering to steal someone's car?”

“But it takes effort, and I'm already busting my ass off picking up shifts at the fry shop. You try walking around in that fucking disgusting Frybo suit for five bucks an hour, see how motivated it makes you to add even more responsibility onto your plate.”

Fair point, especially since the suit made her stink of the sweat of three generations of Frymans.

“This better be a good movie,” Pearl muttered, after they had lapsed into silence for a good three minutes. “I don't even like Star Trek.”

“Look, me either. This isn't about the movie. This is about us. Getting to spend time together. In a warm place where the lights are off and there's hot dogs and popcorn at our disposal.”

Pearl glanced over at her, feigning shock.

“What? You're telling me, Amethyst Montero, that you're using this movie as an excuse to _seduce_ me?”

“Well, what did you think? I'm expecting at least some under the shirt fondling. I mean come on, I'm adorable. I've even offered to steal a car for you.”

Pearl hummed.

“Deal. But only once you warm your hands up when we're inside, I am not letting my vulnerable flesh be groped with hands that feel like they've been bathed in ice.”

Amethyst grinned and held her cigarette to Pearl, who took it between her fingers with a grateful smile before taking a drag herself. She coughed; a smoking car on its last legs drove by.

“You okay?” Amethyst asked, thumping her girlfriend on the back as Pearl coughed out some more smoke. “Shit. I was just trying to warm you up.”

Once her coughing had died down, she met Amethyst for a kiss.

“Wow, you must really be impressed by my efforts,” croaked Amethyst, looking bewildered. Pearl blushed.

“Well, there's nobody around right now. And this is a much more productive method of keeping us warm, don't you agree?”

Amethyst had to laugh, and she took Pearl's cheeks into her hands, drawing her into another kiss much clumsier this time.

At that moment, headlights illuminated the damp fog, and Pearl dived out half into the road, waving. The bus driver barely stopped in time to avoid hitting her and honked in frustration.

Amethyst burst out laughing. “You'd risk getting hit just so we can get to a movie we don't even really wanna see?”

Pearl's eyes were bright as she said rather boldly, “I thought we'd continue on the bus, that's all.”

Amethyst pulled her on before the bus driver had time to demand bus fare.

As Pearl and Amethyst sat at the back of the empty bus, huddled closer than two girls could dare to get in the winter of 1991, Pearl wondered if it was always going to be this exhilarating just to be, the way she could be with Amethyst. Could two girls spend the rest of their lives together like this? Was it something that would stay, or a fleeting moment, before she'd have to wake up and enter a lavender marriage just so people wouldn't wonder behind her back?

Maybe it was possible, maybe not. Regardless of where her love for Amethyst took her – seventeen years old was such a tender age, full of misguided thoughts and strange attractions and even stranger reactions – Pearl realised she was glad, really glad, that when it was with Amethyst it was okay, even if they messed up, even if they were doomed to begin with.

“I love you,” she murmured into the dark silk of Amethyst's neck, heart beating faster than the speed of their trundling bus. “I love you, Amethyst Montero.”

Amethyst's heart picked up just a little too, before she dared to breathe a laugh.

“Love's a strong word, Pearl. But thank you.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> So Pearl at seventeen years old is young and bright-eyed, ready to throw herself into love because loving other girls just feels so much better to her. Next we'll see how a different love endures.


End file.
